Field of the Invention
The subject matter of this application pertains to ice luges, particularly ice luges used for cooling and serving beverages.
Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
Ice luges have been in popular use for rapid chilling of beverages at parties and gatherings of people where beverages, typically containing alcohol, are served. Two types of ice luges, large sculpted ice blocks and small molded ice blocks, have been in use for serving rapidly chilled beverages. The first type of ice luge consists of a large block of ice several feet long sculpted so that the luge contains channels or lanes. The upper surface of the ice luge slopes downward. A drink is poured at the elevated end of the luge, and the liquid travels through its lane and emerges from the lower end of the luge thereby dispensing the liquid into a drinking vessel that is placed to receive the chilled beverage. This type of ice luge features a long transit path. Fabricating a large block of ice requires freezing in a commercial walk-in freezer which most individuals do not have access to. Long transit path ice luges also require skill to sculpt the ice block and significant labor costs can be incurred. Furthermore, transporting large ice luges is inconvenient because of cumbersome size and heavy mass of the objects. Some advantages of long transit path ice luges are that they add ambiance to a party and produce drinks with superior quality.
Ice luges prepared from a single plastic mold, small enough to be accommodated by a typical household freezer, have also been used. An advantage of fabricating ice luges from a small mold is that a walk-in freezer is not required. The ice luges produced from this type of apparatus are characterized by a short transit path. Since the degree of cooling depends upon the amount of time that the beverage is in contact with the ice surface, slower transit speed is required with a short path ice luge. Slower transit speeds are achieved by reducing the angle of incline. A disadvantage of shorter transit speed is increased dilution of the drink, which adversely affects the quality of the drink that is dispensed.